Knitting machine



May 31, 1938.

W/ rA/Ess H. E. HOUSEMAN KNITTING MACHINE 0ri gina l Filed Jan. 24, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l Harald f Houseman aw java/4W y 1933. H. E. HOUSEMAN 2,318,815

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 24, 1935 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/QS.

y 193. H. E. HOUSEMAN 2,118,815

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 24, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W/I'IVESISJ msflitdn V a [Law [V atented May 31, 1938 NITED STATES Standard-Trump Bros.

Machine Company,

Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application January 24, 1933, Serial No. 653,229 Renewed November 12, 1935 19 Claims.

This invention relates to a knitting machine and specifically a machine of the rotary needle type in which patterns are produced by wrapping of the needles by yarn carrying fingers which may be shogged relatively to the needles.

In an application of Stanley R. Shelmire, Serial No. 623,057, filed July 18, 1932, there is disclosed a rotary needle machine in which there are provided wrap fingers carried by a rotating head and designed to carry wrap yarns selectively about needles to produce designs, the wrap yarns being drawn in loops together with a main yarn or yarns. In this machine a given wrap finger serves to individually wrap only one particular needle. Accordingly in such machine it is not possible to produce what are known as shogged patterns in which the same wrap yarn is used to individually wrap various needles in different courses. preferable to a stationary needle machine because of ease of control of the needle and Wrap finger actuating elements, even though it requires the wrap yarn supplies to be rotated with the fingers.

finger in cooperative relationship to various different needles to produce shogged patterns. As an illustration of a satisfactory type of mechanism for producing shogging in a stationary needle machine, there may be cited my Patent 1,892,702, dated January 3, 1933, which is particularly referred to herein since it illustrates a type of shogging mechanism which is reliable in operation inasmuch as it effects a definite operative alignment of any one of a number of wrap fingers with various successive needles within predetermined limits of movement. The mechanism of said patent for securing accurate alignment of the wrap fingers with needles is utilized in a modified form in the present invention in which shogging of a rotating wrap finger carrier relatively to a rotating needle cylinder is produced, so that shogged patterns may be made in the more desirable rotary needle machine. r

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism whereby definite shagging is produced and proper alignment effected in a rotary needle machine, particularly in a fine gauge machine where great precision is required in order that proper operation may result.

The above indicates the broad objects of the present invention which relate, briefly stated, to the provision of a knitting machine of the char- The rotary needle machine is acterindicated in which proper individual needle shogging may be effected. Specific objects of the invention relating particularly to details of construction and control will be apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side. elevation of a portion of a knitting machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the various parts not directly related to the invention being omitted for the sake of c-learness;

Fig. 2 is a partial elevation of the opposite side of the machine from which'details are similarly omitted;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged axial section showing certain driving connections of the wrap finger carrying head;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating certain features of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation showing ratchet controlling mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view showing connections to a patterning mechanism for controlling shogging;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary views showing details of the pawl and ratchet controlling mechanism; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of the shogging controlling mechanism.

Themachine illustrated in the present application is generally similar to that illustrated in the Shelmire application referre to above so far as the various controlling and operating parts relating directly to the manipula n of needles and wrap fingers and their yarns are concerned. Accordingly for clearness these mechanisms have been omitted from the present disclosure. Briefly stated, in its preferred form the machine is designed to produce a double sole in a stocking by the addition of a yarn in the sole of the foot portion, wrapping of the leg and instep being carried out in the manner described in said Shelmire application, the only addition to the wrapping operation involving the shogging of the wrap fingersrelatively to the needles to produce zigzag designs. The machine as illustrated comprises a needle cylinder 2 which carries needles 4 arranged in the usual fashion and provided with different length butts so that proper selection can be made for the usual variations in knitting common to the formation of the parts of stockings. At its lower end the needle cylinder,'which is especially elongated to carry jacks 6 which is driven through an intermediate gear by the driving gear 8 carried by the shaft ID, the gear 8 being driven by the usual mechanism designed to produce both rotation and reciprocation thereof. The shaft [6 carries at its upper end a gear I2 driving a pinion I4 carried by a shaft journalled in a bracket of the frame. The shaft carrying the pinion I4 is provided with a lower member of a universal joint I6, the upper member of which is connected with one section of a two-part splined shaft l8 which at its upper end is connected through a universal joint 26, similar to l6, to a shaft 22 which carries a pinion 24 meshing with a ring gear 26. The universal joints l6 and 20 are of the conventional type which will maintain the pinions I 4 and 24 in a definite angular relationship irrespective of bodily movements of translation of the pinion 24 so long as its axis remains parallel with the axis of the pinion l4. It may be noted that the universal joints together with the splined arrangement permit the axes to remain parallel in spite of the movements of the axis of the gear 24 about the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder as will be hereafter evident.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the ring gear 26 is carried by the bobbin supporting plate 28 which carries a bearing ring 30 rotating on the top of the bracket 32 which when in operative position forms an integral part of the machine frame, although it may be tilted as described in the Shelmire application when the latch ring is open or independently of said latch ring, the shaft [8 permitting this to occur. Secured to the bobbin plate is a tubular member 34 extending inside an opening in the bracket 32 which provides a bearing for it. The lower end of member 34 carries the wrap finger supporting head 36 which is slotted and formed to provide support for wrap fingers 38 held therein in the usual fashion by a spring band. These wrap fingers are actuated as described in the Shelmire application by means of suitable cams to cause their lower ends to move outwardly and inwardly between the needles 4 of the needle circle to produce wrapping, patterning being obtained by the selection of needles.

The bracket 32 .is provided with an external bearing surface concentric with the axis of the wrap finger head and the needle cylinder on which is joumalled a carrier 46. A lateral extension of the carrier 48 provides a journal for the shaft 22 and the pinion 24. By reason of the concentric mounting of the carrier 40 and the gear 26 it will be seen that the pinion 24 will remain in mesh with said gear irrespective of the position of the carrier.

At the side of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 the carrier is provided with an extension 42 to which are secured ratchet plates 46, 48 and 58 illustrated in plan in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 from.which it will be seen that the teeth 66 and 96 of the plates 46 and 50 are directed in one direction while the teeth 84 of plate 4 8 are directed in the opposite direction. The carrier 46 is urged clockwise, as viewed in plan, by a spring 44.

An extension of the bracket 32 carries a stud 52 on which are joumalled three levers 54, 56 and 58, these levers being provided with extensions carrying stop screws 59 urged into contact with an extension of the. frame'by individual springs 51 which urge the levers 54, 56 and 58 counterclockwise in opposition to actuating mechanism. At its upper end the first of these levers carries a stud 68 on which 5 j umalled 8- pawl 62 the nose of which is urged towards the teeth 66 of the ratchet plate 46 by means of a spring 64 connected between the pawl and a suitably located fixed post. A pin 68 carried by the pawl is arranged to engage a cam 18 carried by a fixed bracket 12 so that the pawl is held out of contact with the teeth when in its retracted position to which it is urged by the spring 51. As the lever 54 ismoved clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5 the pawl 62 will move to the right as shown in Fig. 7 so that it will engage a tooth of the ratchet 66 as the pin 68 rides oil the cam 18. The cam 10 is provided primarily to normally hold the pawl 62 away from the teeth to permit reverse movements of the carrier 40.

A rod 14 carried by the lever 54 is arranged to engage a tail portion 16 of a detent 18 mounted on a fixed stud carried by the bracket 32 and urged by a spring 82.to bring its nose into engagement with teeth 84 of the ratchet plate 48. This detent is provided to hold the ratchet plate in position during reciprocation at which time the spring 44 might be insufiicient to hold the carrier 46 sufliciently rigidly to prevent objectionable vibration. The extension 14 fromthe lever 54 serves to trip the detent 18 prior to the engagement of the pawl 62 with the ratchet 46 so that a free forward movement under the action of the pawl 62 may take place.

Also joumalled upon the stud 80 are detents 86 and 88 of different lengths as is evident in Fig. 9. These detents are arranged to alternately engage teeth 90 of the ratchet plate 50 to hold the same in opposition to the eflort of spring 44.

The detents are yieldingly held in operative engagement with the teeth 90 by, means of springs 92 reacting between them and a fixed pin on the machine frame. It is to be noted that the angular spacing of the teeth 58 is double the spacing of the teeth 66. The lengths of pawls 86and 88 are such that as they are alternately tripped the carrier 46 may move backwardly in steps under the action of the spring 44 through v the angular spacing of teeth 66 of which more will be said later.

Members 94 and 96 carried by upper ends of levers 56 and 58 respectively are designed to engage the pawls 86 and 88 respectively to trip them out of engagement with the teeth 98. The

operation is such that the members 94 and 96 .f

are alternately moved so that backward steps of proper angular amount are produced by the alternate freeing of the detents 86 and 88 from the teeth 98.

The levers 54, 56 and 58 are engaged respectively by the upper ends of levers 6|, 63 and 65 pivoted on a common stud and extending downwardly adjacent each other and provided at their lower ends with contact screws 61, 69 and II, respectively, located at the same level.

These contact screws are selectively engaged for the rocking of their corresponding levers by pattern controlled mechanism of a type generally similar to that illustrated in my Patent 1,805,697, whichmechanism is used in that patent for the selective actuation of yarn carrying fin gers. It is, however, of general application as will be evident from the following description.

Three levers I3, 15 and TI are pivoted side-by side upon a common pin 8| carried by suitable supports secured to the usual pawl carrying arm 19 which is oscillated in the usual fashion by a cam formed in the gear 8 as indicated in Fig. 2.

able stop pin. At their rear ends these levers are provided with upwardly directed arms indicated at85. The normal upper positions of the levers under the action of springs 83 are such that they extend above the level of a guard 8'I and will pass above this guard unless selected by mechanism hereafter described. In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in the positions occupied at the time the arm 19 is in approximately its middle position.

An engaging member 99, having a width less than the width of any of the upturned portions 85 of the levers, is pivoted upon a downwardly extending arm SI of a bell crank carried by a fixed pivot which is preferably vertically adjustable upon the usual post provided to carry the bobbins of yarn forming the main supply of the machine. A spring 93 urges the member 09 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 to a limiting position determined by a stop pin, this position being that illustrated. The lower end of the member 89, it'will be observed, is at the level of the upper portions of the extensions 85.

The sidewise extending arm of the bell crank 9| is provided with a follower screw 95 held in engagement with an extension 91 of a lever 99 by a spring IIII. The lever 99 carries a follower I03 engageable by the various lugs I05 carried by the links of a pattern chain IIII trained over one of the usual sprockets I09 which is secured to a ratchet stepped about by the action of the pawl carried by the arm 19. The downward movement of the lever 99 is limited by engagement of a stop screw I02 with the frame, this serving to fix its lowermost position when no lug is presented to the follower I03.

A comparison of the mechanism just described with that illustrated in Patent 1,805,697 will indicate the points of resemblance. A more detailed discussion of the mechanism is not'made inasmuch as the details are described fully in said patent. For example, certain of these details relate to the mode of rendering inactive the patterning mechanism during the period when the pattern chains are being stepped about idly to initial position, for example, during the formation of the toe of a stocking, and also to the interruption of feed of the pattern'chain during, for example, the formation of the heel. For the sake of enabling a more ready comparison of the mechanism with that of the patent just referred to there is indicated at III an arm urged by a spring H5 to bring its follower end into engagement with suitable cams I2I carried by the main pattern drum I00. The lever III underlies the lever 99 and is arranged to engage, when raised, an adjustable screw I29 carried by the lever 99 to move the same upward- 1y to bring the member 89 to an inoperative lateral position, which will be more fully described later, irrespective of the setup of the pattern chain. This arm II I is furthermore connected with suitable elements for restarting the feed of the pattern chain in the conventional fashion. Since the various parts just noted have no particular bearing upon the present invention they are not described in further detail. It will be sufficient to say that the pattern mechanism is in all respects similar to that of my prior patent.

The chain II is provided with either plain links or links having lugs of three difierent heights. When a link without lugs is opposite the follower I03 the member 09 will occupy a position directly behind the tail of the lever I3.

Lugs of successively increasing height will place it behind the tails of levers I5 and TI or to the left of them as viewed in Fig. 10, that is, an inoperative position corresponding to the highest lugs, or the raising of lever 99 by the action of cams 'IZI on lever III.

When the lever I9 swings to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, assuming the position of the member 89 to be that illustrated in Fig. 10, the lever I3 will be rocked clockwise in view of the fact thatthe spring 99 is effectively stronger than any of springs 03. The selection of I3, I5 or II depends upon the particular height of the lug beneath the follower I03 during this backward movement of the arm I9. Upon the forward movement of the arm I9 the chain will be advanced, but since the setup has already been completed by the rocking of one of the levers I3, I5 or I? which has been moved down and will now pass beneath guard 8'I no change will result. Since the lever which has been moved down will almost immediately in the forward stroke of 19 pass below the guard 9I it will not rise even after it leaves its engagement with the member 89. As the extreme forward position of the arm 19 is reached the depressed lever will engage the .corresponding pin 91, 09 or II thereby rocking the lever carrying that pin. V

It may be pointed out that the downward movement of the lever I9 is initially interrupted by its engagement with the upper face of the guard 8'I so that as rearward movement of arm I9 occurs the member 89 will first yield against the action of its spring 99 until the lever I9 passes beyond the rear of the guard B'I whereupon it will drop to a limiting position determined by a stop pin, ready to immediately pass below 8'I in the first movements of the forward stroke.

Upon the next backward movement of the lever I9 the lever I3, IE or II previously selected will be free to move upwardly after it clears the guard 01 unless such upward move ment is prevented by its re-selection. If the position of 09 has been changed another of the levers will be selected. In case a lug of the highest tvpe determines the setup the member 89 is moved to the extreme left as viewed in Fig. so that none of the levers will be selected and. consequently, no movements will be imparted to any of levers GI 63 or 05.

While only two pattern chains are indicated, it will be obvious that any number may be provided for controlling the various operations incidental to this machine, for example, as described more fully in the Shelmire application already referred to. Shogging is desirably prevented whenever wrapping is not taking place although it may be permitted without detrimental effect since at the time when no pattern is desired the cams normally acting upon the wrap fingers are rendered inactive.

' The operation of the shagging mechanism will be clear from a consideration of what would occur if the needle cylinder and gears I2 and I I were held stationary and movements were imparted to the carrier I0. In such case the angular position with respect to the frame of the machine of the pinion 24 would remain fixed in asmuch as the universal joints are of such type that the angular relationship between pinions and M when the wrap finger head is in its operative position is fixed since then the axes of the two pinions always remain parallel. Un-,

der such conditions it is obvious that a movement of the carrier 40 will cause a rotation of the gear 26 and consequently of the wrap fingers associated therewith serving to displace the standpoint of having the needle cylinder anddriving connections stationary, it will be obvious that-the same results will occur when the needle cylinder is moving if the carrier is stepped about in the same fashion so that the total movement of wrap fingers in any given time is equal to the algebraic sum of the rotary movement of the needle cylinder and the movement due to the shogging of the carrier 40. Accordingly by the operation of the pawls, as described below, the wrap fingers are caused to cooperate with successive needles in successive courses during rotary knitting.

The step by step advance of the carrier is effected by the action of the pawl 62. The arm 6| is preferably the innermost one as shown so that its support is quite rigid. The movement of lever 6| must be fairly accurate particularly in a fine gauge machine although, as will be pointed out later, this pawl does not serve for the accurate positioning of .the fingers in operative relationship to the needlesibut ratherimparts a slight overthrow to the teeth of the ratchet 66; that is,

its throw after engagement with the teeth is slightly greater than the spacing of the teeth but less than twice such spacing. As has already been indicated, as the arm 56 rocks to advance the pawl 62 initially it frees the holding pawl I6 from the teeth 84 of the ratchet 66. Thereafter the pawl 62 becomes active to advance the carrier by engagement with the teeth 66 of the ratchet 66, It may be pointed out that this advance takes place in opposition to the spring M5, the detent l6 being provided primarily to prevent such movements of the carrier 62 during reciprocation as might occur in spite of the pull of the spring M. The stroke imparted to pawl 62 is adjusted by ad- .iustment of screw 61.

The actual locating of the carrier 42 in its proper position is efiected by the detents 86 and 86 which alternately engage the teeth 96 of the ratchet 56, which teeth have double the angular spacing corresponding, as pointed out above, to the angular spacing of theneedles when'the action of the epicyclic gear train is considered. This, of course, does not mean that the angular spacing of teeth 46 is equal to the angular spacing of the needles, the spacing being different depending upon the ratio of the pinion 26 to the gear 26. By causing the pawl 62 to give a slight overrun to the carrier 40 the spring 44 serves to pull the carrier back against one or the other of the detents 86 and 86 which serve to determine the proper alignment of the wrap fingers with the needles for operation. It may be noted that, since the rotation of the needle cylinder is counterclockwise as viewed in plan, the detents 86 and 88 take the strain incident to the rotary drive of the wrap finger carrier. The detent i8 is provided to take this strain during clockwise reciprocation since the spring unless very powerful would not other sufiicient reaction. The detent I8 is so adjusted that it will fall between teeth of the ratchet 48 when positioning by the detents 86 or 88 occurs. the forward movement of the carrier 40. Reverse movement is effected by the alternate tripping of detents 86 and 88 through the medium of members 54 and 96 which move when either lever IE or 11 is selected. By such alternate release of the detents the carrier 40 has a step by step movement in reverse direction, again causing the wrap fingers to move into operative relationship with successive needles but in the reverse order. The parts are so timed that no wrap fingers are passing through the needle circle when shogging is taking place, the shogging in either direction taking place during only a small portion of a revolution of the needle cylinder.

By the above arrangement it will be seen that a definite positioning of the wrap fingers relative to the needles is obtained even though both the wrap fingers and needles are rotating at high speeds for the production of rotary knitting. It will be noted that the'successive positions of the wrap fingers relative to the needles are not in amount dependent upon the lugs on the pattern chain or any other relatively remote mechanism whose inaccuracies or lost motion would produce undesirable misalignment between the fingers and needles. As a result, no extraordinary care need be taken in providing lugs on the pattern chain of very definite heights.

It will be clear that numerous variations may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby 4 they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements in opposite directions to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder both forwardly and backwardly in steps corresponding to the angular spacing of adjacent needles.

2. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including a'ratchet carried by said element and means engaging teeth of the ratchet to hold said element in definite positions.

3. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements in opposite directions to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the c'arrier is shogged relatively to the needle The foregoing describes 5 cylinder both forwardly and backwardly, said last named means including devices for arresting said element in definite positions.

4. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap' yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including pawl and ratchet mechanism for advancing said element.

5. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including pawl and ratchet mechanism for advancing said element and arresting it in definite positions.

6. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means-for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including a spring urging said element in one direction, means for advancing said element against the action of the spring, and means for holding said element in definite positions against the action of the spring.

7. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder,

. wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including a spring urging said element in one direction and positive means for preventing said element from moving in opposition to said spring.

8. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including positive means for preventing said element from moving in one direction, and means operable to first render said preventing means inoperative and then to move said element in said direction.

9. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements in opposite directions to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder both forwardly and backwardly, said last named means including reciprocating means, and pattern means determining various paths of movement of said reciprocating means whereby the reciprocating means may control movements of the element in either direction.

10. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged "relatively to'the needle cylinder, said last named means including a spring urging said element in one direction, a ratchet carried by said element, a pair of detents engaging said ratchet and alternately effective to hold it against the action of said spring, and means for alternately tripping said detents to permit movements of the element under the action of the spring.

11. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder,

wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, and means for shogging the carrier relatively to the needle cylinder, said means including a gear attached directly to the carrier, a pinion meshing with said gear, and means for bodily moving said pinion about the axis of said gear to thereby shog the wrap fingers relatively to the needle cylinder.

12. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, and means for driving the carrier, said means including a gear attached to the carrier, a pinion meshing with said gear, flexible shafting for driving said pinion, and means for bodily moving said pinion about the axis of said gear to thereby shog the wrap fingers relatively to the needle cylinder.

13. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, Wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, and means for shogging the carrier relatively to the needle cylinder, said means including a'gear, a pinion meshing with said gear, andmeans for bodily moving said pinion about the axis of said gear in opposite directions to thereby shog the wrap fingers relatively to the needle cylinder in definite steps.

14. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, Wrap fingers arranged to pass between the ends of adjacent needles to feed wrap yarns thereto for the production of wrapping, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements in opposite directions to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder both forwardly and backwardly in steps corresponding to the angular spacing of adjacent needles.

15. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder,

wrap fingers arranged to pass between the ends of adjacent needles to feed wrap yarns thereto for the production of wrapping, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements in opposite directions to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder both forwardly and backwardly, said last named means including devices for arresting said element in definite positions corresponding to predetermined relationships of the wrap fingers and needles.

16. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last named means including a plurality of members reciprocating together and means for causing them to selectively move in difierent paths to thereby control movements of the element.

1'7. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder, wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder, said last namedengaged only with a single needle irrespective of positions of needles closely adjacent to said single needle, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, an epicyclic gear train between the cylinder and carrier whereby they rotate together, and means for imparting limited step by step movements to an element of said epicyclic .gear train whereby the carrier is shogged relatively to the needle cylinder in predetermined definite steps both forwardly and backwardly.

19. A knitting machine including a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by the cylinder,

wrap fingers arranged to feed wrap yarns to individual needles, a carrier for the fingers rotating with the needle cylinder, means for moving the wrap fingers between the needles, connections between the carrier and cylinder whereby when no sfiogging is taking place they are constrained to rotate with the same angular velocity, said connections having no rotary movements with the cylinder about its axis, and means acting upon said connections for shogging the carrier relatively to the needle cylinder both forwardly and backwardly in steps corresponding to the angular spacing of adjacent needles.

HAROLD E. HOUSEMAN. 

